Lewisburg man charged in child-exploitation probe, police seize devices

Keith Edward Kendall, 67, of Lewisburg, was charged after a child-exploitation investigation led troopers to a home on the 100 block of Victoria Lane in East Buffalo Township and turned up electronic devices, according to court records.

The criminal complaint accuses Kendall of 10 counts of sexual abuse of children - possession and one count of criminal use of a communication facility. All of the charges are third-degree felonies. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Jeffrey L. Mensch, and bail was set at $75,000 unsecured, meaning he was released without posting cash up front but remains responsible for appearing in court.

The case began with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, whose CyberTipline serves as the national centralized reporting system for online exploitation reports from the public and electronic service providers. Pennsylvania State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation Northeast Computer Crime Unit led the investigation, and the FBI’s Williamsport office assisted. Troopers later executed a search warrant at the East Buffalo Township residence and seized digital devices as part of the probe.

The matter carries added local significance because Kendall had worked as a judicial law clerk for judges in the 17th Judicial District, which covers Union and Snyder counties. Court administration said he is no longer employed by the court. Union County and Snyder County court officials also barred him from using the internet, going where children are present, and entering either courthouse property.

The case shows how child-exploitation investigations often move from a single report to a local search warrant through digital forensics, account tracing and device analysis. Those cases are routinely handled with help from state police computer-crime units and federal partners, especially when material is believed to have been shared or stored electronically.

For parents and caregivers, the case is a reminder that online exploitation complaints are not abstract. Suspicious messages, hidden accounts, unexplained devices or adults seeking private contact with children are red flags worth reporting. NCMEC’s CyberTipline and Pennsylvania State Police remain key channels for that reporting, and investigators say a single tip can become the starting point for a wider criminal case.

The investigation remains active as the charges move through the court system, where the allegations will now face the scrutiny of the judicial process.